King Alfred's Old English version of St. Augustine's Soliloquies, turned into modern English

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AGED 25

PREFACE

Since the publication of my King Alfred's Old English
Version of St. Augustine's Soliloquies, which appeared in
1902, I have been at work on this translation. With the
faith that the unique importance of the work justifies its
being given this form for the benefit of the general reader,
and with the encouragement from scholars that my render-
ing will be received in the kindly spirit which characterized
the reception of my former edition, I now venture this
publication.

For those who care to use the two editions together it
will be seen (i) that the Alfredian additions to the Latin
are set in italics; and (2) that the numbers at the top
of each page refer to the page and line of the corresponding
text of the Old English.

I must add that Professor Albert S. Cook has been my
counsellor and critic throughout the work.

Henry Lee Hargrove.
Baylor University,
July 6, 1904.

King Alfred's Old English Version

St. Attgtistine's Soliloquies

TURNED INTO MODERN ENGLISH

KING ALFRED'S PREFACE

I then gathered for myself staves, and stud-
sbaftSy and cross-beamSi and helves for each of
the tools that I could work with; and bow-tim*
bers and bolt-timbers for every work that I could
perform— as many as I could carry of the come-
liest trees. Nor came I home with a burden, for
it pleased me not to bring all the wood home,
even if I could bear it. In each tree I saw
something that I needed at home; therefore I
exhort every one who is able, and has many
wains, to direct his steps to the self-same wood
where I cut the stud-shafts. Let him there ob-
tain more for himself, and load his wains with
fair twigs, so that he may wind many a neat
wall, and erect many a rare house, and build a
fair enclosure, and therein dwell in joy and com-
fort both winter and summer, in such manner as
I have not yet done. But He who taught me,
and to whom the wood was pleasing, hath power
to make me dwell more comfortably both in this
transitory cottage by the road while I am on
this world-pilgrimage, and also in the everlasting
home which He hath promised us through Saint
Augustine and Saint Gregory and Saint Jerome,
and through many other holy Fathers; as I believe

King Alfred's Preface

[1.21—2,33

also for the merits of all those He will both
make this way more convenient than it hitherto
was, and especially will enlighten the eyes of my
mind so that I may search out the right way to
the eternal home, and to everlasting glory, and
to eternal rest, which is promised us through
those holy Fathers. So may it be.

It is no wonder that one should labor in tim^
ber-work, both in the gathering and also in the
building; but every man desireth that, after he
hath built a cottage on his lord's lease and by
his help, he may sometimes rest himself therein,
and go hunting, fowling, and fishing; and use it
in every manner according to the lease, both on
sea and land, until such time as he shall gain
the fee simple of the eternal heritage through
his lord's mercy. So may the rich Giver do, who
riileth both these temporary cottages and the
homes everlasting. May He, who created both
and ruleth both, grant me to be fit for each
— both here to be useful and thither to attain.

Augustine, bishop of Carthage, made two books
about his own mind. These books are called
Soiiioqules, that is, concerning the meditation and
doubts of his mind— how his Reason answered his
mind when the mind doubted about anything, or
wished to know anything that it could not before
clearly understand.

BOOK I

Then said he, his mind often went fearing and search-
ing out various and rare things, and most of all about
himself — what^ he was; whether his mind and his soul
were mortal and perishable, or ever-living and eternal; and
again, about his God, what He was, and of what nature
He was; and what good it were best for him to do, and
what evil best to forsake. Then answered me something,
I know not what, whether myself or another thing; nor
know I whether it was within me or without ; but this one
thing I most truly know, that it was my Reason; and it
said to me:

Reason. If thou have any good steward that can well
hold that which thou gettest and committest unto him, show
him to me; but if thou have none so prudent, search till
thou find him; for thou canst not both always keep watch
and ward over that which thou hast gained, and also get
more,

Augustine. To what shall I commit what more I get,
if not to my memory?

R. Is thy memory powerful enough to hold all things
that thou thinkest out and bidst it to hold?

A. Nay, nay; neither mine nor any man's is so strong
that it can hold everything that is committed to it.

R. Then commit it to words and write it down. Howbeit
methinks thou art too feeble to write it all ; and though thou
wert entirely sound, thou wouldst need to have a place
retired and void of everything else, and a few wise and
skilful men with thee who would hinder thee in no wise,
but give aid to thy ability.

A. I have none of these, neither the leisure, nor the
help of other men, nor a place retired enough to suit me
for such work; therefore I know not what I shall do.

* Passages in italics were added by Alfred to the original Latin.

King Alfred's

[4.14—6.6

R, I know then notliing better tliaii that thou shouldst
pray. Make known thy wish to God» Saznour of mind and
body, that thou mayst through such salvation obtain what
thou wishest. And when thou hast prayed, write the prayer,
lest thou forget it, that thou be the fitter for thy task. And
pray sincerely in few words and with full understanding.

A, I tmll do eirn as thou teachest me, saying thus:

O Lord, Thou who art the Creator of all things, grant
me first to know how to pray to Thee aright and acceptably,
and that I may merit to be worthy that Thou for thy mercy
wilt redeem and deliver me. On Thee I call, O Lord, who
madest all that could not else have sprung into being, nor
without Thee could even abide. I call to Thee, O Lord,
who leavest none of thy creatures to become naught To
Him I call who hath made all creatures beautiful without
any original substance. To Thee I call, who never wrought-
est any evil, but rather every g(3od w^ork. To Him I call
who teacheth to a few wise men that evil is naught.

O Lord, thou hast wrought all things perfect, and nothmg
nnperfect; to Thee is no creature untoward; though any
thing will, it can not be so, for Thou hast shapen them all
orderly, and peaceable, and so harnwmous that none of them
can altogether destroy another, but the ugly ezfer adorn-
eth the bcauiiful. To Thee I call, whom everything loveth
that can love, botli those which know what they love, and
those which know not what they love. Thou who hast
shapen all creatures very good, without any evil — Thou who
wilt not altogether shotv thyself openly to any but to them
that are pure in heart, I call to Thee, O Lord, because Thou
art the Father of truth and wisdom, of the true and highest
life, and of the highest blessedness, and of the highest good,
and of the highest brightness, and of the intelligible light;
Thou who art the Father of the Son who hath awakened
us, and still arouse th us, from the sleep of our sins, and
wameth us to come to Thee.

To Thee I pray, O Lord, who art the highest truth, and
through whom is true all that is true. I pray to Thee, O

6.7—7-21] St. Augustine 5

Lord, who art the true life, and through whom all things
live that do live. Thou art the highest blessedness, and
through Thee are blessed all tliat are blessed. Thou art
the highest good^ ... is and beautiful. Thou art the
intelligible light through which man knoweth. I pray to
Thee, O Lord, who wieldest all the world; whom we can
not know bodily, neither by eyes, nor by smell, nor by ears,
nor by taste, nor by touch; although such laws as we have,
and such virtues as we have, we take all those that are
good from thy realm, and from thy realm we draw an
example of all the good we perform. For every one fall-
eth who fleeth from Thee, and every one riseth who tum-
eth to Thee, and every one standeth who abideth in Thee ;
he dieth who wholly forsaketh Thee, he is quickened who
turneth to Thee, and he liveth indeed who abideth in Thee.
No one that is wise forsaketh Thee, no one seeketh Thee
except he be wise, and no one altogether findeth Thee but
the pure in heart. That is, he perisheth who forsaketh
Thee. He who loveth Thee seeketh Thee; he who fol-
loweth after Thee hath Thee, Thy truths which Thou>^
hast given us awaken us from the sleep of our sins. Our
hope lifteth us to Thee. Our love, which Thou hast given
us, bindeth us to Thee. Through Thee we overcome our
foes, both spiritual and carnal. Thou who forgivest, draw
nigh to me and have mercy upon me, because Thou hast
bestowed upon us gpreat gifts, to wit, that we shall never
entirely perish and thus come to naught.

O Lord, who warnest us to watch. Thou hast given us
reason, wherewith to find out and distinguish good and evil,
and to flee the evil. Thou hast given us patience not to
despair in any toil nor in any misfortune. Nor is this a
wonder, because Thou dost verily rule well, and makest us
to serve Thee well. Thou hast taught us to understand
that worldly wealth, which we looked upon as our own, is
alien to us, and transitory; and Thou hast also taught us
to consider as our own what we looked upon as alien to us,

* An omission in the MS.

6 King Alfred's [7.21— 9.1 1

to wit, the kingdom of heaven, which we once despised.
Thou who hast taught us to do no unlawful thing, and
hast also taught us not to mourn even though our riches
should wane. Thou who hast taught us to subject our body
to our mind.

Thou who didst overcome death when Thou thyself didst
arise, and also wilt make all men arise. Thou who makest
us all worthy of Thee, and cleanses t us from all our sins,
and justifiest us, and hearest our prayers. Thou who
madest us of thy household, and who teachest us all right-
eousness, and always teachest us the good, and always dost
us good, and leavest us not to serve an unrighteous lord, as
we did aforetime. Thou callest us 'back to our way, and
leadest us to the door, and openest to us, and givest us the
bread of eternal life and the drink of life's well. Thou who
threatenest men for their sins, and who teachest them to
judge righteous judgments, and to do righteousness. Thou
strengthenedst us, and yet dost strengthen us, in our belief,
in order that unbelievers may not harm us. Thou hast
given us, and yet givest us, understanding, that we may
overcome the error of those [who teach that]^ men's souls
have, after this world, no reward for their deserts, either
of good or of evil, whichever they do here. Thou who
hast loosed us from the thraldom of other creatures. Thou
always preparest eternal life for us, and always preparest
us for eternal life.

Come now to my aid. Thou who art the only eternal and
true Deity — Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost — without any
variableness or turning, without any need or impotence,
and without death. Thou who always dwellest in the high-
est brightness and in the highest steadfastness, in the high-
est unanimity and the highest sufficiency ; for to Thee there
is no want of good, but Thou always dwellest thus full of
every good unto eternity. Thou art Father, and Son, and
Holy Ghost.

^ Supplied by translator to complete the sense.

9.12— 10.23] St, Augustine 7

Thee serve all the creatures that Thou didst create; to
Thee is every good soul subject; at thy command the
heavens turn and all stars hold their courses ; at thy behest
the sun bringeth the bright day, and the moon light by night ;
after the image of these Thou dost govern and wield all
this world, so that all creatures change even as day and night.
Thou rulest and fixest the year by the alternations of the four
seasons — to wit, spring, and summer, autumn, and winter ;
each of which alternateth and varieth with the other, so that
each of them is again exactly what and where it formerly
was ; and so all stars change and vary in the same manner —
likewise the sea and the rivers; in the same manner all crea-
tures suffer change. Howbeit, some vary in another man-
ner, so that the same come not again where they formerly
were, nor become just whcU they were; but others come in
their stead, as leaves on trees; and apples, grass, plants, and
trees grow old and sere, and others come, wax green, and
grow, and ripen; wherefore they again begin to wither.
And likewise all beasts and fowls, in such manner that it is
now too long to reckon them all. Yea, even men's bodies
wax old, just as other creatures do; but just as they formerly
lived more worthily than trees or other animals, so shall
they arise more worthily on Doomsday, so that never after-
ward shall their bodies become naught nor wax old; and
though the body had decayed, yet the soul was ever-living
since first it was created.

And all the creatures, about whom we say that they seem
to us inharmonious and unsteadfast, ha/ve yet somewhat of
steadiness, because they are bridled with the bridle of God's
commandments. God gave freedom to men's souls, that
they might do either good or evil, whichever they would ;
and promised good for a reward to them that do good, and
evil to them that do evil.

With God is prepared the well-spring of every good, and
thence is prepared and granted to us every good of those
which we have ; He shieldeth us against every evil. Nothing
is above Him, but all things are under Him, or with Him, or

8 King Alfred's [ii.i— 12.17

in Him. He created man in His own image, and every man
who knoweth himself knoweth that all this is true. To that
God I cry, and say:

Hear me, hear me, O Lord, for Thou art my God and
my Lord, my Father, and my Creator, and my Governor, and
my hope, and my riches, and my honor, and my house, and
my inheritance, and my salvation, and my life. Hear me,

Lord, hear me. Thy servant. Few understand Thee.
Thee alone I love truly above all other things; Thee I

seek. Thee I follow. Thee I am ready to serve ; under Thy
rule I wish to dwell, for Thou alone reignest. I pray Thee
to command me what Thou wilt; but heal and open mine
eyes that I may see Thy wonders, and drive from me folly
and pride, and give me wisdom that I may imderstand Thee,
and teach me whither I should look to behold Thee; then
shall I, methinks, do gladly that which Thou commandest
me.

I beseech Thee, Thou merciful, benevolent, and bene-
ficent Lord, to receive me, Thy fugitive ; since once I was
formerly Thine, and then fled from Thee to the devil, and
fulfilled his will, enduring much misery in his service. But
if to Thee it seemeth as it doth to me, long enough have I
felt the pains which I have now suffered, and longer have I
served Thy foes than I should those whom Thou hast [under
Thy feet] .^ Long enough have I been in the reproach and
shame which they brought on me ; but do Thou receive me
now, Thine own servant, for I am fleeing from them. Be-
hold, did they not receive me even before I had fled from
Thee to them? Never again restore me to them, now that

1 have sought Thee, but open to me Thy door, and teach
me how to come. I have naught to bring Thee but good
will, for I myself have nothing else, nor know I aught
better than to love the heavenly and the spiritual above the
earthly; and this I do, good Father, since I know naught
better than that. But I know not how I shall now come
to Thee except Thou teach me; teach it, then, to me, and

^ Supplied from the Latin.

12.17— 14-5] St Augustine 9

help me. If it is by faith that they find Thee who do find
Thee, give me that faith. If by any other power they find
Thee who do find Thee, give me that power. If by wisdom
they find Thee who find Thee, then give me wisdom. Aug-
ment in me the hope of eternal life, and increase Thy love
in me.

O, how wonderful is Thy goodness, for it is unlike all
other good things. I desire to come to Thee ; and all that I
have need of on the way I desire from Thee, and chiefly
that without which I can not come to Thee. If Thou for-
sake me, I perish; yet I know that Thou wilt not forsake
me unless I forsake Thee; nor will I forsake Thee, for
Thou art the highest good. There is none who rightly seek-
eth Thee that doth not find Thee. He alone seeketh Thee
aright whom Thou teachest aright to seek Thee, and how
he should seek Thee. O, good Father, free me entirely from
the error in which I have hitherto wandered, and yet wan-
der; and teach me the way in which no foe can encoimter
me before I come to Thee. If I love naught above Thee,
I beseech Thee that I may find Thee ; and if I desire any
thing beyond measure and wrongly, deliver me from it.
Make me worthy to behold Thee.

Thou most ancient and most wise Father, I commit to
Thee my body, that Thou mayest keep it whole. Yet I
know not what I ask — ^whether I am asking a thing use-
ful or useless to me or to the friends whom I love and who
love me; nor do I know how long Thou wilt keep it whole.
Therefore I commit and commend it to Thee, for Thou
knowest better than I what I need. Wherefore I pray Thee
alway to teach me, while I am in this body and this world,
and help me alway to utter the counsel which is pleasing
to Thee, and which is best and most righteous for me in
this life. But above all other things I earnestly pray Thee
to convert me wholly to Thee, and let nothing overcome
me on this way, to prevent me from coming to Thee; and
cleanse Thou me while I am in this world, and make me
humble. Give me loftiness of soul. Make me reasonable

10 King Alfred's [i4-5— iS-iS

and just and prudent and perfect; and, O God, make me
a lover of Thy wisdom and a perceiver of it, and make me
worthy to dwell in Thy blessed kingdom. Amen!

Now I have done as thou didst teach me; now I have
prayed even as thou badest me. Then answered me my
Reason and said:

R, I see that thou hast prayed; but say now what thou
hast merited, or what thou wouldst have.

A, I would understand all, and know what I just now
said.

R. Sum up, then, from all that thou hast just spoken
about, that which seemeth to thee that thou most needest
and most requirest to know; then clothe it in few words,
and tell it to me.

A. I will tell it to thee at once: I would understand God
and know mine own soul.

R. Wouldst thou know any thing more ?

A. Many things I fain would know that I know not.
Howbeit there is nothing I wish more to know than this.

R, Then inquire after and seek what thou askest, and
tell me first what thou knowest with most certainty, and
then say to me: 'Sufficiently known will God and my soul
be to me, if they shall be c^ well known to me as this
thing/

A. I can name nothing so well known to me as I would
that God were.

R. What, then, can we do, if thou knowest not the
measure? Thou oughtest to know when it seemed to thee
enough, and if thou ever come to that limit, then thou
shouldst go no further, but shouldst seek something else, lest
thou shouldst desire any thing beyond measure.

A, I know what thou wishest; I should illustrate to
thee by some example; but I can not, for I know naught
like unto God, so that I can say to thee : *I should like to
know God as well as I know this thing.'

i5.i6— 17.8] St, Augustine ii

R, I am astonished at thee, why thou sayest that thou
knowest nothing like unto God, and yet dost not know what
He is.

A. If I knew aught like unto Him, I would love that
thing exceedingly. Since I know naught like unto Him, I
love nothing but Him and mine own soul ; howbeit, I know
not what either of them is.

R, Thou sayest that thou lovest naught but God and
thy soul; if that is true, lovest thou then no other friend?

A, Why, if I love a soul, do I not love my friend?
Hath not he a soul?

R. If thou lovest thy friend because he hath a soul,
why, then, lovest thou not every thing that hath a soul?
Why dost thou not love mice and fleas?

A, I love them not, because they are carnal animals,
not men.

R. Have not thy friends likewise bodies, even as beasts
have?

A, Yet it is not on this account I love them, but because 1
they are men, and have reason in their minds — ^that quality ';
I love even in slaves. Those that I hate, I hate because
they turn the good of reason into evil, since I am allowed
both to love the good and to hate the evil. Therefore I ■
love all my friends, some less, some more; and him whom /
I love more than another, I love him so much more than /
the other as I perceive that he hath a better will than the |
other, and the desire to make his reason more serviceable. *

R. Thou understandest it well enough, and rightly
enough. But if any one should now say to thee that he
could teach thee how thou mightest know Grod as well as
thou knowest Alypius thy servant, would that seem enough
to thee, or how much wouldst thou thank him for it?

A, I should thank him, but nevertheless I would not
answer 'enough.'

R, Why?

A. Alypius is better known to me than God, yet even
him I know not so well as I would.

12 King Alfred's [17.9—192

R. Look to it now that thy desire be not beyond meas-
ure, now that thou comparest them together, Wouldst thou
know God just as thou dost Alypius?

A, Nay; nor do I make them the more aUke, albeit I
name them together. But I say that one often knoweth
more about higher than about lowHer things. I know now
about the moon, how it will move to-morrow and other
nights; but, I know not what I shall eat to-morrow, which
is a baser matter.

R, Then wouldst thou know enough about God, if He
should be as well known to thee as the motion of the moon —
in what constellation it now is, or into which it is going
next?

A, Nay ; I wish that He were better known to me than
the moon which I see with mine eyes. Yet I do not know
but that God may, for some secret reasons, which we know
not, change it in another wise ; then should I be perplexed
in what I now imagine I know about it. But I would have
such knowledge about God, in my reason and in my under-
standing, that nothing could disturb me, nor bring me into
any doubt.

R. Dost thou believe, therefore, that I can make thee
wiser about God than thou now art about the moon?

A. Yea; I believe it, but I should prefer to know it, for
we believe all that we know, and we are ignorant of many
things which we believe.

R. Methinks that thou dost not trust the external
senses — eyes, ears, smell, taste, and touch — ay a means of
clearly understanding zvhat thou wouldst, unless thou com-
prehend it in the mind by the reason.

A, That is true; I trust them not.

R. Wouldst thou know thy servant, whom we were just
now speaking of, with the outer senses, or with the inner?

A. I know him now as well as I can know him with the
external senses; but I should like to know his mind with
my mind; then I should know what was his loyalty
toward me.

19.3—^.17] 5*/. Augustine 13

R, Can one know otherwise than with the mind?

A. It doth not seem to me that I can know it as I would.

R. Dost thou, then, not know thy servant?

A. How can I know him, seeing I am not certain that I
know myself? It is said in the law that one shall love his
neighbor even as himself. How then do I know in what
way I should love him, if I do not know whether I love
myself? Nor do I know how he loveth me; yet I know
that it is the same with him in regard to me.

R. If thou with the inner sense wouldst know Gkxi, why
pointest thou me to the outer senses, as if thou wouldst see
Him bodily, just as thou formerly saidst thou sawest the
moon? I know not therefore how thou teachest it to me,
nor can I teach it to any one, by the outer senses. But tell
me whether it seemeth enough for thee to know God as
Plato and Plotinus knew him?

A. I dare not say that it would seem to me enough,
because I know not whether it seemed to them enough in
regard to that which they knew. I know not whether it
seemed to them that they needed to know more of Him, but
even so they formerly seemed to me.^ When I prayed,
methought I did not so fully understand that which I be-
sought as I would. But I still could not forbear to speak
about it, just as it seemed to me that I needed, and just as
I supposed it was.

R. Methinks now it seemeth to thee that it is one thing
to know, and quite another only to suppose,

A. Yea, so methinks; therefore I would now that thou
tell me what difference there is between these, or what one
certainly knoweth.

R. Knowest thou that thou didst learn the science which
we call geometry? In that science thou learnedst on a
ball, or an apple, or a painted egg, that thou mightest by the
painting understand the motion of the heavens and the
course of the stars. Knowest thou that thou didst learn in
the same science about a line drawn along the middle of

* Doubtful rendering of and swd-swa mi er pUhton.

14 King Alfred's [20.17—22.10

the ball? Knowest thou zvhat was there taught thee about
the positions of the twelve stars and the path of the sun?

A, Yea; I know well enough what the line sig^fieth.

R. Now that thou sayest thou doubtest this no whit,
dost thou not fear the Academicians, those philosophers who
said that there was never anything certain beyond a doubt?

A. Nay; I do not fear them much, for they said that

there never was a wise man. Therefore I am not at all

ashamed not to be wise, for I know that as yet I am not

wise; but if I ever become as wise as they, then I will do

I as they teach, until I can say that I know without doubt

] what I seem to myself to know,

R. I do not object at all to thy doing so. But thou
sayest thou knowest about the line which was painted on
the ball on which thou learnedst tlve revolution of this
heaven; I would know whether thou also knowest about
the ball on which the line is drawn,

A, Yea; I know both. No man can mistake that.

R. Didst thou learn with the eyes or with the mind?

A, With both : first with the eyes, then with the mind.
The eyes brought me to the understanding ; but after I had
perceived it, I left off looking with the eyes, and reflected,
for it seemed to me that I could contemplate much more of
it than I could see, after the eyes had fixed it in my mind.
Just so a ship bringeth one over the sea; when he cometh
ashore, he letteth the ship stand, for it seemeth to him that
he can travel more easily without it than with it. How-
ever, it seemeth easier to me to travel by skiff on dry land
than to learn any science with the eyes, but without the
reason — ^though the eyes must at times give aid.

R. Therefore thou must needs look rightly with the
eyes of the mind to God, just as the ship's anchor-cable is
stretched direct from the ship to the anchor, and fasten the
eyes of thy mind on God, just as the anchor is fastened in
the earth. Though the ship be out among the sea-billows,
it will remain sound and unbroken if the cable holdeth, since
one end of it is fast to the earth and the other to the ship.

22.II—24.7] St. Augustine 15

A. What is that which thou callest the mind's eyes?

R. Reason, in addition to other virtues.

A. What are the other virtues?

R. Wisdom, and humility, and honor, and moderation,
and righteousness, and mercy, and prudence, and constancy,
and benevolence, and chastity, and abstinence. With these
anchors thou art able to fasten to God the cable that shall
hold the ship of thy mind.

A. May the Lord God make me entirely as thou teach-
est me [to be]. I would if I could, but I can not under-
stand how I shall be able to obtain these anchors, or how
I shall fasten them, except thou teach it to me more clearly.

R. I could teach thee, but I ought first to ask thee how
many of this world's lusts thou ha^t renounced for God.
After thou hast told me that, then I can say to thee with-
out any doubt that thou hast obtained so many of the
anchors as thou hast renounced the lusts of the world.

A. Hozv can I forsake that which I know and am
familiar with, and have been used to from childhood, and
love that which is unknown to me except by hearsay?
Howbeit, I feel sure that if I knezv what thou sayest about
me cks certainly as what I here see for myself, I would love
that, and despise this.

R. I wonder why thou speakest so. Suppose now if
a letter with seal from thy lord should come to thee, canst
thou say thou art not able to understand him by that, nor
to recognize his will therein? If thou sayest that thou
canst know his will therein, say then whether it seemeth to
thee better to follow his will, or to follow after the wealth
which he gave thee over and above his friendship.

A. Whether I will or not, I must speak tndy, unless I
am prepared to lie. If I lie, God knoweth it. Therefore I
dare speak only the truth, so far as I can know it. Me-
thinks it is better to forsake the gift, and follow the giver,
who is to me the stetvard both of the riches and of his
friendship, unless I can have both. I should like, however.

i6 King Alfred's [24,7—2523

to have both, if I could follozv both the wealth and also his
will.

R, Full rightly hast thou answered me, but I would
ask thee whether thou supposest that thou canst have all
that thou now hast without thy lord's friendship.

A, I do not suppose that any man is so foolish as to
think that,

R, Thou understandest it rightly enough, but I would
know whether thou thinkest that what thou hast is tem-
poral or eternal.

A. I never supposed it to be eternal.

R. What thinkest thou about God and the anchors which
we spake of — are they like these, or are they eternal?

A. Who is so mad as to dare say that God is not eternal f

R. If He is eternal, zvhy lovest thou not the eternal
Lord more than the temporal? Lo, thou knowest that the
Eternal will not leave thee, except thou go from Him; and
thou must needs depart from the other whether thou will
or no; thou must either leave him, or he thee. Howbeit I
perceive that thou lovest him very much, and also fearest
and dost well; very rightly and very becomingly thou dost.
But I wonder zvhy thou dost not love the Other much more,
Him who giveth thee both the friendship of the worldly
lord and His ozvn, and, after this world, life eternal. The
Lord is the ruler of you both — thine and thy lord's whom
thou so immeasurably lovest.

A. I confess to thee that I would love Him above all
other things, if I could understand and know Him as I
would. But I can understand very little of Him, or nothing
at all, and yet at times, when I think carefully of Him, and
any inspiration cometh to me about the eternal life, then
I by no means prefer this present life to that, nor even love
it so much.

R. Wishest thou now to see Him and clearly under-
stand Him?

A. I have no zvish above that.

R. Keep, then. His commandments.

25-24—27.13] 5*^ Augustine 17

A. What commandments?

R. I named them to thee before,

A, Methinks they are very burdensome and very mani-
fold.

R. What one loveth, methinks, is not burdensome.

A. Nor doth any work seem burdensome to me if I can
see and have what I work for. But doubt begetteth heavi-
ness.

R. Thou graspest it well enough in speech, and well
enough thou understandest it. But I can say to thee that
I am the faculty of Reason, which argueth with thee — ^the
discursive faculty whose province it is to explain to thee in j
such wise that thou mayest see God with thy mind's eyes /
as clearly as thou now seest the sun with the eyes of the/
body.

A. Almighty God reward thee! I am truly grateful for
thy promise to teach it to me so clearly. Although I was
ignorant, yet I emerge from this condition to a clearer vision
of Him, if I come to see Him as I now see the sun. Howbeit
I do not see the sun so clearly as I would like to. I know
very little better what the sun is, though I look on it every
day. Still it seemed good to me that I might thus clearly
see God.

R. Now consider very earnestly what I formerly said to
thee.

A. I will, so much as possible.

R. First know of a truth that the mind is the eye of \
the soul ; secondly, thou must know that it is needful for
one to see what one looketh at; the fourth is what one
would see. For every one having eyes first looketh at that
which he would see till he hath beheld it. When he hath
beheld it then he truly seeth it. But thou must know that
I who now speak with thee am Reason, and I am to every /
human mind what looking is to the eyes. Three things it ;
behooveth the eyes of every human body to have ; the fourth
is what it seeketh and would draw to them. One is that

1

i8 King Alfred's [27.13—29.13

thou hast and usest and lovest that which thou formerly
didst hppe for.

A, Alas! Shall I ever come to that which I hope for,
or shall that ever come to me which I desire?

R. Add now love as a third besides faith and hope ; for
the eyes of no soul are entirely sound — especially to see God
with — ^if lacking these three. Seeing, then, is knowing.

A. If then there be sound eyes, that is, perfect under-
standing, what is then wanting to it, or what is more needful ?

i?. The soul's vision is Reason and ContemplcUion. But
many souls look with these, and yet see not what they desire,
because they have not entirely sound eyes. But he who
wisheth to see God must have the eyes of his mind whole ;
that is, he must have an abiding faith and a just hope and
a full love. When he hath all these, then hath he life
blessed and eternal. The vision which we shall catch of
God is knowledge. That knowledge is between two
things — ^between that which understandeth and that which
is understood — and is fastened on both even as love is
between the lover and the one loved. On both it is fastened,
as we said before concerning the anchor-cable that the one
end was fast to the ship, and the other to the land,

A. Then if it ever again happeneth that I can see God
as thou now teachest me that I should behold Him, would
I need all three of the things that thou formerly spakest
about, namely: faith and hope and love?

R, What need then is there of faith, when one seeth
that which he formerly exercised faith toward, and again
knoweth that which he formerly hoped for? But love never
waneth — it abideth greatly increased when the understand-
ing is fixed on God; nor hath love ever any end. Omni
consummatione uidi finem; latum mandatum tuum nimis:^
that is, of everything in the world I shall see the end, but the
end of thy commandments I shall never see. That is the
love about which he prophesied. But, although the soul be
perfect and pure while it is in the body, it can not see God

* Ps. 119. 96, inexactly quoted.

29.13—30.27] St. Augustine 19

as it desireth, because of the sorrow and tribulation of the
body, except with much labor through faith and hope and
love. These are the three anchors which sustain the ship
of the mind in the midst of the dashing of the waves.
Yet the mind hath much comfort because it believeth and
clearly knoweth that the misfortunes and unhappiness of
this world are not eternal. So the ship's master j^ when the
ship rideth most unsteadily at anchor and the sea is roughest,
then knoweth of a truth that calm zveather is coming. Three
things are needful to the eyes of each soul: One is that they
he whole; the second, that they should look at what they
would see; the third, that they may see what they look at.
For the three is God's help necessary, for one can neither do
good nor any thing without His aid. Therefore He is
always to he entreated that He he ever helpful; therefore
also He inspireth us and inciteth us first to he well-wishing,
and afterwards worketh zvith us that which He willeth till
such time as we perfect it with Him; and especially He
zvorketh with us oj with some pozverful tool, just as it is
zvritten^ that zvith each well-working person God is a co-
zvorker. We know that no man can perform any good
unless God work zvith him; howheit no man must he so idle
as not to begin something through the strength that God
giveth him,

A, Thou teachest me the right way. Now I know what
I ought to do; hut I do not know whether I can or can not.

R. Thou oughtest not to despair because thou canst not
come at once to that which thou desirest for thyself. Can
he who would learn a science ever do so in a short time,
a little more or a little less? Thine is the science of all
sciences, to zvit, that one should seek after God and look
toward Him and see Him.

A. Well thou advisest me; but I recall what thou didst
formerly promise me, and very joyfully I abide that promise;

* Translating MS., ho feut, emended to hlaford at the suggestion
of Professor Cook. Cf. translator's ed. of the OE. version, 29. 20.
' I Cor. 3. 9.

20 King Alfred's [30^—32.7

thou didst promise to teach me how to see God with the
eyes of my mind as clearly as I now see the sun with the
eyes of my body,

R. Well thou remindest me; I will do for thee what I
promised. Call to mind now that thou canst see with thy
body's eyes three things in regard to the sun : One is that
it existeth ; another, that it shineth ; the third, that it
lighteth up many things with its shining. All the things
which are bright, when the sun shineth on them, shine
against it, each after its own kind. But those things which
are not bright shine not against the sun, although it shineth
on them. But the sun shineth, nevertheless, on them, and
yet he who looketh toward it can not see it wholly just (w it
is. All this and more thou canst observe concerning God.
He is the high Sun, He always abideth, lighting up with
His own light both the sun which we see with bodily eyes
and all creatures both spiritual and terrestrial. Therefore he
seemeth to me a very foolish man who wisheth to understand
Him just as He is, while we are yet in this world. Behold!
I suppose that no one is so foolish that he becometh sorrow-
ful because he can not see and understand, just as it is, the
sun which we look at with corporeal eyes; but every one
rejoiceth that at least he can understand according to the
measure of his understanding. He doth well who desireth
to understand the Eternal and Almighty Sun; but he doth
very foolishly, if he wisheth to know Him perfectly while
he is in this world,

A. Very wonderfully and very truly thou teachest, and
very much thou hast comforted me and brought me into
good hope. But I pray still for what thou aforetime didst
promise me.

R. Two things I promised that I would accomplish and
teach thee, to wit, to understand God and thyself. But I
would know how thou desirest to understand that — whether
thou wouldst believe without experience, or know by
experience.

32.»-33.i9] St. Augustine 21

A, I would know it by experience, for I know nothing
of it surely,

R, That is no wonder. I did not explain it to thee in
such wise that thou couldst know it by experience; for
there is yet something which thou must first know, to wit,
whether we both are whole.

A. Thou must know whether thou findest any health,
either in me, or in thyself, or in us both. It becotneth
thee to teach and me to listen; and it becotneth me to answer
what I understand according to the measure of my under-
standing, if so be I understand it at all; if I do not under-
stand it at all, then must I admit it and leave it to thy
judgment,

R. Wishest thou to know more than about God and
thyself?

A. I answer thee that I do not wish anything more
earnestly ; but I dare not promise thee that I shall not desire
any thing else than that; for it is verily hidden from me,
albeit something cometh into my mind which, methinks,
nothing can hinder me from furthering and performing.
When another thing cometh which seemeth to me more right
and reasonable, then I leave off that which I formerly held
enough ; and therefore at times it happeneth that something
is so fixed in my mind, that I think I shall never let it go
so long as I live. Howbeit there cometh to me then some
trouble which occupieth me so that I can never leave it, nor
can I perform it although I can not think of any better
[thing to be done].^ But three things have troubled me
most : One is, I fear that I must part with my friends whcwn
I love most, or they with me — either for life or for death;
the second is, I fear sickness, both the known and the
unknown; the third is, I fear death.

R. I hear now what thou lovest most next to thine own
reason and God: They are, the life of thy friends, and thine
own health, and thine own life. Of these five things thou
art afraid that thou shalt lose some, because thou lovest

* Supplied by translator.

22 King Alfred's [3319— 35-8

them all very much. If thou didst not love them, then thou
hadst not dreaded that thou wouldst lose them.

A. I admit what thou sayest to me.

R. Therefore methinks that I see thee very sad and
greatly cast down in thy mind, because thou hast not such
health as thou hadst; nor hast thou all thy friends with
thee so agreeable and harmonious as thou wouldst. Nor
doth it seem to me any wonder that thou art sad for that
reason.

A. Thou understandest it rightly; I can not gainsay
that.

R. If then it ever happen that thou shalt find thyself
full whole and full strong, and hast all thy friends with thee,
both in mind and in body, ajtd in that same work and in
that same will which pleaseth thee best to do, wilt thou then
be happy at all?

A. Yea, verily ; if it should now suddenly happen, I do
not know how on earth I would begin.

R. Hast thou not then still some trouble, such as immod-
erate sorrow, either of mind or of body — seeing now thou
hast those two things? Wert thou, therefore, foolish in
heart, when thou didst wish that thou shouldst see with such
eyes the high and everlasting Sun ?

A. Now thou hast overcome me withal, so that I by no
means know how much of health I have, nor how much of
sickness.

R. That is no wonder. No man hath such sound eyes
that he can look any length of time toward the sun which
we here see, much less if he have weak eyes. But those
that have weak eyes can be more at ease in the darkness
than in the light. Methinks, though, that it seemeth to thee
that thou hast sound eyes. Thou thinkest of the health of
thy soul's eyes, but thou dost not think of the great light
which thou wishest to see. Be fwt wroth with me, albeit I
question thee and examine thee, for I needs must do that.
Methinks thou dost not understand thyself.

3S'9-'37'3] St. Augustine 23

A, I am in no wise wroth with thee, but rejoice in what
thou sayest, because I know that thou seekest my good.

R. Wishes! thou any wealth?

A. Long ago I resolved that I should despise it I am
now three and thirty years old, and I was one less than
twenty when I first resolved that I would not love wealth
overmuch. Though enough should come to me, I would
not rejoice very much, nor enjoy it too immoderately, nor
would I gain more to keep than I could fitly make use of,
and keep and support the men on, whom I must help; and
the residue I think as orderly to divide as I best am able
so to do.

R, Wishest thou any honor?

A, I confess to thee that I did wish that till recently
desire failed.

R. Desirest thou not a beautiful wife, and withal modest
and well instructed and of good manners and subject to thy
will, and one who hath much substance and would not
engross thee in any thing, nor hinder thee from enjoying
leisure at thy will ?

A, Dost thou not praise her overmuch that I may wish
her all the more ? For methinks there is nothing worse for
him that willeth to serve God than to take a wife — though
some one hath said that it is better to take one for the
rearing of children. Howbeit I say that it is better for
priests not to have a wife. Therefore I decided that I would
take none, because I wished to be the freer to serve God.

R. I hear now that thou dost not think to take a wife ;
but I would know whether thou still hast any love or lust
after any uncleanness.

A. Why askest thou more about that? I do not now
desire that ; but if lust ever cometh to me, I dread it as an
adder. Ever the less is my desire for it, and ever the more
I wish to see the light, even as I lust the less after this
manner.

R. How about food? How much dost thou desire that?

M

Iting Alfred's

[374— 39.U

A, I desire ncwie of those meats which I have renounced ;
I desire those which I have thought right to eat, when I see
them. What shall I say more either about meat, or drink,
or baths, or riches, or honor, or any zvorldly lusts f Nor do
I wish any more of these than I shall need to have for my
bodily comfort and to keep my strengfth. Hozvbeit I need
much more for the zvants of those men which I must take
care of, and moreover this I needs must have,

R, Thou art right. But I would know whether thy old
eovetousness and greediness be entirely extirpated and
uprooted from thy mindj so that it can not still grow.

A, Why askest thou that?

R. T speak of the things which thou before saidst to
me that thou hadst decided to leave off and for nothing
would turn back to again, namely: overmuch wealth, and
immoderate honor, and inordinately rich and luxurious liv-
ing; and therefore I now ask whetlier, either for the love of
them or for the love of any thing, thou wilt return to them
again. I heard formerly that thou saidst that thou lovedst
thy friends, next to God and thine own reason, above other
things. Now I would know whether thou, for their love,
wouldst lay hold of these things again.

A, I will lay hold of all again for their love, if I can not
else have their companionship — yet it doth not please me
so to do.

R, Very reasonably thou dost answer me and very
rightly. Howbeit I understand that the lusts of the world
are not entirely uprooted from thy mind, although the trench
be prepared; for the roots can sprout thence again. Yet I
impute that not to thee as a fault, for thou layest hold of
it not for the love of those things but for the love of this
thing which it is more right to love than that. / never ask
about any man, what he doth; but yet I ask thee now why
thou lovest thy friends so much, or what thou lovest in them,
or whether thou lovest them for their ozvn sake or for some
other thing.

39.14^41.19] St. Augustine 25

A. I love them for friendship and for companionship,
and above all others I love those who most help me to
understand and to know reason and wisdom, most of all
about God and about our souls; for I know that I can more
easily seek after Him with their help than I can without.

R. How then if they do not wish to inquire after the One
whom thou seekest?

A. I shall teach them so that they will.

R. But how then if thou canst not, and if they be so
foolish as to love other things more than that which thou
lovest, and say that they can not or will not?

A. I, nevertheless, will have them: they will be helpful
to me in some things and I likewise to them.

R. But how then if they disturb thee, and if the infirmi-
ties of the body hinder thee?

A. That is true; howbeit I would not fear at all the
infirmities, if it were not for three things: One of these is
heavy sorrow; another is death; the third is that I can not
seek nor truly find what I desire just as thou modest me
know. Toothache hindered me from all learning, but yet
it did not altogether snatch from me the remembrance of that
which I formerly learned. Howbeit I suppose, if I should
understand certainly that which I yearn to understand, sor-
row would seem to me very little, or else naught, compared
with faith. Yet I know many a pain is much sharper than
toothache, albeit I never suffered any sharper. I learned
that Cornelius Cdsus taught in his books that in every man
wisdom is the highest good and sickness the greatest evil.
The saying appeareth to me very true. Concerning the
same thing the same Cornelius saith: 'Of two things we
are what we are, to wit, of soul and of body. The soul is
spiritual, a/nd the body earthy. The best faculty of the soul
is wisdom, and the worst affliction of the body is sickness.'
Methinks moreover that this is not false.

R, Have we not now shown clearly enough that wisdom
is the highest good? Is it not also beyond a doubt that it
is to every man the best of all the virtues? And is it not

26

King Alfred's

[41.19—43*12

his best work to search after wisdom, and love it whenever he.
findeth it ? But I would that we two might now search out
who the lovers of this wisdom should be, Dosi thou not
know that ez^ery man tvho loveth another Z'ery much liketh.
better to caress and kiss the other on the bare body than
where the clothes come between? Now I understand that
thou lovest wisdom very much, and wishest so much to know
and feel it naked that thou zvouldst not that any cloth
were between; but it will seldom so openly reveal itself to
any man. At those times when it will show any limb thus
bare J it doth so to very few men; but I know not hozv thou
canst receive it with gloved hands. Thou must also place
the bare body against it, if thou wilt feel it. But tell me
now, if thoy lovedst a certain beautiful woman very im-
moderately and above all other things, and if she fled from
thee and would reciprocate thy love on no other condition ,
than that thou woiildst renounce every other love for hers <
alone, wouldst thou then do as she unshed?

A. Alas! what a hard thing thou dost enjoin upon me!
Didst thou not formerly admit that I loved nothing above
wisdom, and moreover I too admitted it, albeit thou saidst
then that whoever loveth one thing for the sake of another,
he doth not of a truth love that former thing for wliich
he professeth love, but really that for which he loved the
former thing and thought to obtain it. Therefore I assert
that I love wisdom for no otiier thing than for its own sake.
I love all the world — each thing as I consider it profitable,
and especially that thing most which helpeth me to wisdom ;
and moreover those things which I fear most to lose. How-
beit I do not love any thing else in such wise as I love wis-
dom. Every tiling which I love most I grant, while I love it
most, to no man but to myself, except wisdom alone. It I
love above all other things, and yet of my free will I would
grant it to every man, so that all who are on this earth
might love it and search after it, yea, find it, and tlien
use it ; for I loiow that each of us would love the other by
so much more as our will and our love were more in unison.

43.13—44.24] St. Augustine 27

R. Said I not formerly that he who would feel the bare
body must feel it with bare hands? And I say also, if thou
wilt behold wisdom itself thus bare, that thou must not allow
any cloth between thine eyes and it, nor even any mist; albeit
to that thou canst not come in this present life, though I
enjoin it upon thee, and though thou wish it. Wherefore
no man ought to despair, though he have not so sound eyes
as he who can look the sharpest ; even he who can look the
sharpest of all can not himself see the sun just as it is while
he is in this present life. Yet no man hath such weak eyes
that he can not live by the sun and use it, if he can see at
all, unless ,he be purblind. Moreover, I can teach unto thee
other parables about wisdom. Consider now whether any
man seeketh there the king's home where he is in town, or
his court, or his army, or whether it seemeth to thee that
they all must come thither by the same road; on the con-
trary, I suppose they would come by very many roads: some
would come from afar, and would have a road very long and
very bad and very difficult; some would have a very long
and very direct and very good road; some would have a
very short and yet hard and strait and foul one; some would
have a short and smooth and good one; and yet they all
would come to one and the same lord, some more easily,
some with more difficulty; neither do they come thither with'
like ease, nor are they there alike at ease. Some are in more
honor and in more ease than others; some in less, some
almost without, except the one that he loveth. So is it
likewise with wisdom. Each one who wisheth it and who
anxiously prayeth for it, he can come to it and abide in its
household and live near it; yet some are nearer it, others
farther from it; just so is every king's court: some dwell
in cottages, some in halls, some on the threshing-floor, some
in prison; and yet they all live by the favor of one lord,
just as all men live under one sun, and by its light see what
they see. Some look very carefully and very clearly; some
see with great difficulty; others are stark blind, yet use
the sun. But just as the visible sun lighteth the eyes of our

28"

King Alfred's

[44-25—46,10

body, so wL^dom lighteth the eyes of our mhid, which is our
u fide r standing. And just as tlte eyes of the body are more
sound, thus to use more of the sun's light, so is it also with
the mind*s eyes, that is, the understanding: just by so much
as that is sounder, by so much more may it see the eternal
sun, which is wisdom. Every man that hath sound eyes
needeth no other guide nor teacher to see the sun, except
heahh. If he hath sound eyes, he may himself look at the
sun. On the contrary, if he hath unsound eyes, then he
needeth that one teach him to look first on the wall, then
on gold, and on silver ; when he can more easily look on
that, [then let him look]^ on fire, before he looketh at the sun.
Then after he hath learned that his eyes do not at all avoid
the fire, let him look on the stars and on the moon, then on
sunshine, before he looketh on the sun itself. And just so
with the other sun that we formerly spake of, that is, wis-
dom. He who wisheth to see it with his mind's eyes must
begin very gradually, and then little by little mount nearer
and nearer by steps, just as if he zvere climbing on a ladder
and wished to ascend some sea-cliff. If he then ever
Cometh tip on the cliff, he may look both oifer the shore and
ot'er the sea, which then lieth beneath him, and also over
the land that formerly was above kink But if it seemeth
good to us, let us stop here for this day, and to-morrow seek
further after the same thing which we before sought after.

A, Nay, not at all; but I humbiy pray thee that thou
weary not, nor leave off the conversation here; but say
some^vhat more clearly about it so that I may more clearly
feel and tinder stand something concerning this wisdom,
and bid me what thou tvilt. I will understand it, if it lies in
my power.

R. I know not anything to command thee of which tliou
hast more need for the science which thou wishest to know,
than that thou despise, so much as thou art able, worldly
honors, and especially intemperate and unlazvful ones, be-
cause I fear that they may bind tliy mind to tliemselves and

* Supplied by translator.

46.10— 48-6] St. Augustine 29

take it with their snare, just as one catcheth wild beasts or
fowls, so that thou canst not accomplish what thou wishest ;
for I know that the freer thou art from the things of this
world, the more clearly thou shalt understand about the wis-
dom which thou desirest; and if it ever happen that thou
canst so entirely forsake them that thou desirest naught
of them, then shall I be able to say to thee forsooth (believe
me if thou wilt), that in that very hour thou shalt know all
that thou wishest now to know, and shalt have all that thou
wishest to have.

A, When shall that be? I do not believe that it will
ever be that I shall not yearn at all after this world's honors,
unless one thing happen, namely: that I see those honors
which thou promisest me, Howbeit I know not that it
would please me so well to yearn no more after this world's
honors.

R, Now methinks thou dost not answer me with reason.
Methinks that thou speakest very much as if thine eyes
should say to thy mind : 'We will never avoid the darkness
of the night until we can see the sun itself.' Thus, methinks,
the eyes do, if they avoid that part of the sun's light which
they can see. It can not happen even to the soundest of all
eyes that they can look from this world and see the sun as
it is. By this thou mayest conclude that thou oughtest not
to sigh though thou canst not see wisdom naked with the
eyes of thy mind just as it is; for thou canst never do that
while thou art in the darkness of thy sins. But enjoy the
wisdom which thou hast, and hcpve joy in the part which
thou canst understand, and seek more with thy whole heart.
Wisdom itself knoweth what thou art worthy of, and how
much it may show itself to thee. There is naught worse in
a man than to suppose that he is worthy of what he is not.
The physician knoweth better than the sick whether he can
be healed or not, or whether he can be healed by mild or by
severe treatment. Therefore thou must not excuse thyself
too much, nor sigh too much after aught. The eyes of thy
mind are not so wholly sound as thou dost suppose.

30 King Alfred's [487— 4918

A, Cease, O cease! Do not vex me, nor increase my
sorrow. Enough have I, though thou increase it not.
Thou seekest it at times so high, at times so deep, that
I understand now that I am not such as I supposed, hut I
am ashamed that I supposed that which was not. Truly
enough thou hast said. The Physician whom I wish to heal
me knoweth how sound my eyes are. He knoweth what He
wisheth to show me. To Him I commit myself, and to His
goodness I entrust myself. May He do unto me according
to His will ! On Him I call, that He may make fast my soul
to Him. I will never again say that I have sound eyes until
I see wisdom itself.

R, I know no better advice for thee than thou formerly
saidst. But leave off woe and sorrow, and be measurably
happy. Thou wert formerly too immoderately sorrowful,
for sorrow injureth both mind and body.

A, Thou wouldst restrain my weeping and my sorrow,
and still I perceive no limit to my misery and misfortunes.
Thou bidst me leave off sorrow lest I, either in mind
or in body, be weaker; yet I find no strength, either in
mind or body, but am full nigh in despair. But I beseech
thee, if thou in any wise canst, to lead me by some shorter
way, somewhat nearer the light of the understanding which
I long ago desired and yet could not come by in my ignor-
ance ; notwithstanding that I may afterwards be ashamed to
look again toward the darkness which I formerly desired to
forsake, if ever I draw nigh to the light.

R, Let us now end this book here properly, and name a
shorter way in another book, if we can.

A, Nay, nay; let us not leave this book yet until I am
able to understand that which we are after.

R, Methinks I ought to do as thou bidst me. Some-
thing draweth me on, I know not what, but I surmise it is
the God thou seekest after,

A, Thanks he to Him that adviseth thee, and to thee
also, if thou praise Him. Lead whither thou wilt; / will
follow after thee if I can.

49.19—52.2] St Augustine 31

R. Methinks thou desirest still to know that same thing
about God and thy soul which thou didst formerly desire.

A, Yea, that alone I desire.

R. Wishest thou aught more? Wishest thou not to
know truth?

A, How can I, without truth, know aught of truth, or
what wilt thou say, without truth, that God is? For we
hear it read in the Gospel that Christ said that He is the
way, the truth, and the life.

R, Rightly thou sayest; but I would know whether it
seemeth to thee that the true and truth are one [and the
same thing] .

A, Two things, methinks, they are, just as wisdom is
one thing, and that which is wise is another; and likewise
chastity is one thing, and that which is chaste is another.

R. Which, then, doth seem to thee better, the true or
truth?

A. Truth; for all that is true is so because of truth;
and every thing that is chaste is so because of chastity ; and
he who is wise is so because of wisdom.

R. Thanks be to God that thou understandest it so well.
Howbeit I would know whether thou suppose, if a wise man
zvere dead, wisdom would be dead. Or again, if a chaste
man were dead, chastity would be dead. Or if a truthful
man were dead, would truth then be dead.

A. Nay, nay, verily ; that can not come to pass.

R. Well dost thou understand it. But I would know
whether thou suppose that wisdom is gone, or chastity, or
truth, when the man passeth away ; or whence they formerly
came, or where they are, if they exist? Or whether they be
corporeal, or spiritual? For no man doubteth that every
thing that is existeth somewhere.

A. Very searching is thy question, and pleasant for him
to know who can know it. What is wanting to him who
knoweth that?

R. Canst thou recognize the righteous and the un-
righteous?

32 King Alfred's [S2.3— 5319

A. Yea, to some extent; not, however, as I would. But
I would like to know what thou formerly didst ask.

R. I wonder why thou hast so completely forgotten what
thou, only a little before didst admit that thou knewest.
Didst thou not say before that thou knewest truth to be
eternal, although the true man passed away? And now
thou say est, *If it existeth.'

A. That same thing I say still. I know that it abideth,
although the true man passeth away.

R. All that is true abideth while it doth exist ; but that
which thou callest truth is God. He ever was, and ever will
be, immortal and eternal. God hath all knowledge in Him-
self sound and perfect. He hath made two eternal things,
to wit, angels and men's souls, to which He gave some
portion of eternal gifts, such as wisdom and righteousness,
and many others zvhich it seemeth to us too numerous to
count. To angels He giveth according to their capacity,
and to the souls of men He giveth gifts according to
the capacity of each. These same they need never lose, for
they are everlasting, and to men He giveth many and divers
good gifts in this world, although they be not eternal,
Howbeit they are serviceable while we are in this world.
Dost thou yet understand that souls are immortal? If thou
hast understood it, do not conceal it from me, but confess
it. If it is otherzvise, tell me then.

A. Thanks be to God for the part I know. I will now
consider this and hold it as I best can, and if I have doubts
about any thing, I will promptly tell them to thee.

R. Believe firmly in Gkxl, and commit thyself wholly to
God, and seek not too much the fulfilling of thine own will
above His ; but be His servant, not thine own ; and confess
that thou art His servant. Then He will raise thee ever
nearer and nearer to himself, and will not let any adversity
befall thee. Howbeit if He permit any adversity to befall
thee, it will be for thy good, although thou canst not under-
stand it.

53.20—546] St. Augustine 33

A, That I both hear and believe, and this instruction I
will follow as I best can, and will pray God that I may
fulfil it ay thou long ago didst instruct me; do thou now
teach me, if thou wilt,

R. Do this for me first, and tell me again, after thou hast
studied this, what thou likest of this; and if thou doubtest
aught about any of these things, then tell it to me.

Here endeth the anthology of the first book.

BOOK II
Here beginneth the anthology of the second book.

A. Alas ! Long have we been unoccupied, yet we have
not sought after what thou didst promise me.

R. Let us make amends for it; let us carry it forward
into another book.

A. Yea, let us indeed.

R. Let us believe that God is our Helper.

A, Truly would I that we believed it, if I had power.
But methinks faith is not in our power, in such measure as
we seek, unless God give it to us.

R. Both faith and all the good that we shall have.
Therefore I know not what else we can do without His help.
Howbeit I advise thee that thou begin it. Pray in as few
words as thou most sincerely canst, and ask for that which
is and may be most needful for thee.

A. Then said I: 'Lord, Lord, Thou who remainest
unchangeable, grant me these two things which I always
wished, to wit, that I may understand Thee and myself.'
Now I have done as thou didst instruct me; truly have I
prayed.

R. Now I hear what thou wishest to know. Howbeit I
would first learn from thee whether thou knowest without
doubt that thou dost exist or not; or that thou dost live or
dost not live.

A, These are two things which I certainly know.

R. What now wishest thou to know ?

A. Whether I be immortal.

R. I hear that thou wouldst live always.

A. That I confess.

R. Wilt thou, then, know enough if I cause thee to
know that thou mayest live always?

A. That is a very good desire ; yet say what I ask thee
about: whether I shall live always; and then I would

36 ^ King Alfred's [56.13—58.22

know whether I, after the parting of the body and the
soul, shall ever know more than I now know of all that
which I have long wished to know; for I can not find any
thing better in man than that he know, and nothing worse
than that he be ignorant,

R. Now I know all that thou wishest: One thing
is, thou wouldst exist; another, thou wouldst live; the
third, thou wouldst know. And I know also why thou
wishest these three things : Thou wouldst exist in order to
live, and thou wouldst live in order to know. And these
three things I hear that thou certainly knowest: Thou
knowest that thou art, and thou knowest that thou livest,
and thou also knowest that thou knowest something, albeit
thou knowest not all that thou wouldst know.

A. That is true. These three things I know, and these
three things I desire. I would exist in order that I m^y
live. What would I care whether I existed, if I lived not?
Or what would I care for life, if I knew nothing?

R, Now I hear that thou lovest all that thou dost love
on account of these three things, and I know also which of
the three things thou lovest most. Thou lovest to exist
because thou wouldst live, and thou wouldst live in order
to know. Thus I perceive that thou lovest wisdom above
all other things. That, methinks, is the highest good, and
also thy God.

A. Truth thou sayest to me. What is the highest wis-
dom other than the highest good? Or what is the highest
good except that every man in this world love God as
much as he loveth wisdom — whether he love it much, or
little, or moderately? So much as he loveth wisdom, so
much doth he love God.

R. Very rightly thou hast understood it. But I would
we began again where we were before. Now thou knowest
that thou art, and that thou livest, and that thou knowest
something, albeit not so much as thou wouldst; and a fourth
thing thou wouldst also know, to wit, whether the three
things all be eternal or not, or whether any of them be

58.22—59.27] St. Augustine 37

eternal; or, if they are all eternal, whether any of them
after this world in the eternal life shall either become worse
or wane.

A. All my yearning hast thou understood very well.

R. About what doubtest thou now? Didst thou not
before confess that God is eternal and almighty, and hath
created two rational and eternal creatures, as we before said,
namely: angels and men's souls, to which He hath given
eternal gifts? These gifts they need never lose. If thou
now rememberest this and believest this, then knowest thou
beyond doubt that thou art, and always wilt be, and always
wilt love, and always wilt know something, albeit thou
mayest not know all that thou wouldst. Now thou knowest
about those three things that thou askedst about, namely:
(i) Whether thou art immortal; (2) Whether thou shalt
know something throughout eternity; (3) Whether thou,
after the parting of the body and the soul, shalt know more
than thou now knowest, or less. After the fourth we shall
still seek — now that thou knowest the three — until thou also
know that.

A. Very orderly thou dost explain it, but I will yet
say to thee what I firmly believe, and about what I
yet doubt. I do not doubt at all about God's immortality
and about His omnipotence, for it can not be else respecting
the trinity and the unity, which zvas without beginning and
is without end. Therefore I can not otherwise believe, for
He hath created so great and so many and so wonderful
visible creatures; and He ruleth them all and directeth
them all, and at one time adorneth them with the most win-
some appearances, while at another time He taketh away
their adornments and beauties. He ruleth the kings who
have the most power on this earth — who like all men are
born, and also perish like other men. Then He letteth them
rule while He willeth. For such and for many such things
I do not know how I can doubt His eternity; and also about
the life of our souls I do not now doubt any more. But I
doubt yet about the eternity of souls, whether they are
immortal.

38 King Alfred's [s9.2S-60.29

R. About what dost thou doubt f Are not all the holy
books well nigh full of the immortality of the soulf But
methinks that too long to enumerate now in full, and too
long for thee to hear.

A. I have heard a good deal of it, and I also believe it;
but I desire rather to know it than to believe it.

R. I wonder why thou yearnest to know so very much
and so certainly what no man in the prison of this present
life ever so certainly could know as thou wishest, although
many yearn to understand it more clearly in this present
life than many others believe it from the sayings of
these and truthful men. No one can ever understand all
that he would, till the soul be parted from the body; nor
indeed before Doomsday so clearly as he would. And
yet the holy Fathers that were before us knew very truly
about that which thou before didst ask, to wit, about the
immortality of men's souls, which was so clear to them that
they had no doubt, since they despised this present life^
. . . they would be parted; and just as they endured the
greatest torments in this world, so they would afterward
have the greater reward in the eternal life. Through the
sayings of such men we should infer that we can not under-
stand it as clearly as they could; howbeit as regards the
immortality of the soul, if thou dost not yet assent to it,
I will make thee to understand it, and I will also cause thee
to be ashamed that thou understoodest it so slowly.

A. Even so do ! Cause me to be ashamed therefor.

R. Behold, I know that thou hast to-day the lord whom
thou trustest in all things better than thyself; and so also
hath many a servant who hath a less powerful lord than
thou hast; and I know that thou hast also many friends
whom thou trustest well enough, though thou dost not trust
them altogether so well as thou dost thy lord. How seemeth
it to thee now, if thy lord should tell thee some news which
thou never before heardest, or if he should say to thee
that he saw something which thou never sawestf Doth it

* A break in the MS.

60.29—61.29] St. Augustine 39

seem to thee that thou zvouldst doubt his statement at all,
because thou didst not see it thyself?

A. Nay, nay, verily; there is no story so incredible that
I would not believe it, if he should tell it. Yea, I even
have many companions, whom, if they should say that they
themselves saw or heard it, I would believe just as well as
if I myself saw or heard it.

R. I hear now that thou believest thy lord better them
thyself, and thy compactions quite as well as thyself. Thou
dost very rightly and very reasonably, in that thou hasP
such good faith in them. But I would that thou shouldst
tell me whether Honorius, the son of Theodosius, seem to
thee wiser or more truthful than Christ, the Son of God.

A. Nay, verily nay; nowhere near! But methinks that
it is difficult for thee to compare them together. Honorius
is very good, although his father was better; the latter was
very devout and very prudent and very rightly of my lord's
kin; and so is he who still liveth there. I will honor them
just as a man should a worldly lord, and the others of whom
thou didst formerly speak just as their masters, and as one
should the king who is the King of all kings, and the Creator
and Ruler of all creatures.

R. Now I hear that the Almighty God pleaseth thee
better than Theodosius; and Christ, the Son of God, better
than Honorius, the son. of Theodosius. I blame thee not
that thou lovest both, but I advise thee to love the higher
lords more, for they know all that they wish and can per-
form all that they wish.

A. All that thou say est is true. I believe it all.

R. Now I hear that thou trustest the higher lord better.
But I would know whether it seem to thee that thy worldly
lords have zviser and truer servants than the higher lords
have. Trustest thou now thyself and thy companions better
than thou dost the Apostles, who were the servants of Christ
Himself f Or the Patriarchs? Or the Prophets, through
whom God Himself spake to His people what He would?

A. Nay, nay; I trudt not ourselves so well, nor any-
where near, as I do them.

40 King Alfred's [61.30—62.30

R. What spake God then more often, or what said He
more truly through His Prophets to His people than about
the immortality of souls? Or what spake the Apostles and
all the holy Fathers more truly if not about the eternity of
souls and about their immortality? Or what meant Christ,
when He said in His Gospel: 'The unrighteous shall go into
eternal torments, and the righteous into eternal life'? Now
thou hearest what said Christ and His Apostles; and I
heard before that thou didst doubt nothing of the word of
Honorius and his servants. Why doubtest thou, then, about
the words of Christ, the Son of God, and those of the
Apostles, which they themselves uttered? They spake to
us more of such like words than we can count, and with
many examples and proofs they explained it to us. Why
canst thou, then, not believe them all, and why saidst thou
before that thou wert their man?

A, So I say still, and say that I believe them, and also
know exactly that it is all true that God either through
Himself or through them said; for there are more of these
occurrences in the holy books than I can ever count. There-
fore I am now ashamed that I ever doubted about it, and
I confess that I am rightly convinced, and I shall always be
much happier when thou dost convince me of such things
than I ever was when I convinced another man. All this
I knew, however, before; but I forgot it, as I fear also
that I shall this. I know also that I had so clean for-
gotten it that I should never have remembered it again, if
thou hadst not cited me clearer examples, both about my
lord and about many parables.

R. I wonder why thou couldst ever suppose that men's
souls were not eternal, for thou clearly enough knewest that
they are the highest and the most blessed of the creatures
of God; and thou knowest also clearly enough that He
alloweth no creature entirely to pass away so that it cometh
to naught — not even the most unworthy of all. But He
beautifieth and adorneth all creatures, and again taketh
away their beauty and adornments, and yet again reneweth

62.30—63.34] St Augustine 41

them. They all so change, however, that they pass away,
and suddenly come again and return to that same beauty
and to the same winsomeness for the children of men, in
which they were before Adam sinned. Now thou canst
perceive that no creature so fully passeth away that it
Cometh not again, nor so fully perisheth that it doth not
become something. Now that the weakest creatures do not
pass away entirely, why then supposest thou that the most
blessed creature should entirely depart f

A. Alas! I am beset with wretched forgetfulness, so
that I can not remember it as well as before. Methinks
now that thou hadst explained it to me clearly enough by
this one example, though thou hadst said nothing more.

R. Seek now in thyself the examples and the signs, and
thou canst know well what thou before wouldst know, and
what I explained to thee by the concrete examples. Ask
thine own mind why it is so desirous and so zealous to
know what was formerly, before thou wert born, or ever
thy grandfather was born; and ask it also why it knoweth
what is now present and what it seeth and heareth every
day; or why it wisheth to know what shall be hereafter.
Then I suppose it will answer thee, if it is discreet, and say
that it desireth to know what was before us for the reason
that it always existed since the time that God created the
first man; and therefore aspireth to what it formerly
was, to know what it formerly knew, although it is now so
heavily weighed with the burden of the body that it can not
know what it formerly knew. And I suppose that it
will say to thee that it knoweth what it here seeth and
heareth, because it is here in this world; and I suppose also
that it will say that it wisheth to know what shall happen
after our days, because it knoweth that it shall ever be.

A. Methinks now that thou hast clearly enough said that
every man's soul ever is, and ever shall be, and ever was
since God first made the first man.

R. There is no doubt that souls are immortal. Believe
thine own reason, and beliez'e Christ, the Son of God, and

42 King Alfred's [63.34-^4-35

believe all His sayings, because they are very reliable wit-
nesses; and believe thine own soul, which always saith to
thee through its reason that it is in thee; it saith also that
it is eternal, because it wisheth eternal things. It is not so
foolish a creature ay to seek that which it can not find, nor
wish for that which doth not belong to it. Give over now
thy foolish doubting. Clear enough it is that thou art
eternal and shall ever exist.

A. That I hear and that I believe and clearly know,
and I am rejoiced as I never was at anything. Now
/ hear that my soul is eternal and ever liveth, and that the
mind shall ever hold all that my mind and my reason
gathered of good virtues. And I hear also that my intellect
is eternal. But I wish yet to know what I before asked
about the intellect: whether it shall, after the parting of the
body and the soul, wax or wane, or shall stand still in one
place, or do as it before did in this world — for a time wax,
then for a time wane. I know now that life and reason are
eternal, albeit I fear that it shall be in that world as it is
here in children. I do not suppose that the life there shall
be without reason, any more than it is here in children; in
that case there would be too little winsomeness in that life.

R. I hear now what thou wouldst know, but I can not
tell thee in a few words. If thou wilt know it clearly, then
shall thou seek it in the book which we call De Videndo
Deo. In English the book is called Of Seeing God. But
be now of good cheer, and think over what thou hast now
learned, and let us both pray that He may help us, for He
promised that He would aid every one who called on Him
and rightly wished it; and He promised without any doubt
that He would teach us after this world that we might very
certainly know perfect wisdom and full truthfulness, which
thou mayest hear about more clearly in the book which I
have before named to thee — De Videndo Deo.

Here endeth the anthology of the second book which we
call Soliloquies.

BOOK III

Then said I: Now thou hast ended the sayings which
thou hast selected from these two books, yet hast not
answered me about what I last asked thee, to wit, about my
intellect. I asked thee whether, after the parting of body
and soul, it would wax or wane, or whether it would do both
as it before did.

R. Did I not say to thee before that thou must seek it
in the book which we then spake off Learn that book, then
thou wilt find it there.

A. I do not care now to study all that book; but I would
that thou tell me that^ . . . the glory of the good, that
their own torment may seem the more to them, because they
would not by their Father's advice merit the same honors
while they were in this world. And the good see also the
torments of the wicked in order that their own glory may
seem the more. The wicked see God as the guilty man who
is condemned before some king; when he seeth him and his
own dear ones, then seemeth to him his punishment the
greater. And so also the dear ones of the king see their
punishment, so that their honors always may seem to them
the greater. No man ought to suppose that all those that
are in hell have like torments, nor that all those that are in
heaven have like glory; but every one hath according to
his merits, punishment as well as glory, whichever he is in.
The like have their like. Moreover, it is not to be supposed
that all men have like wisdom in Heaven; for every one
hath it in the measure which he here merited. As he
toileth better here and better yearneth after wisdom and
righteousness, so hath he more of it there; likewise more
honor and more glory. Hath it now been clearly enough
explained about wisdom and about the vision of God?

A. Yea; truly enough I believe that we need not lose

* A break in the MS.

King Alfred's

[66.5—67.9

aught of the wisdom which we now have, although the soul
and the body part. But I heliet^e that our intellect shall
thereby be very much increased, though we can not all know
before Doomsday what we would know, Howheit I believe
that after Doomsday naught will be hidden from us, neither
of that which is in our days, nor of that which was before
us, nor of that which shall come after us. Thou hast now
related to me many examples^ and I myself have seen in
the writings of the sacred books more than I can reckon,
or even can remember. Thou didst show me also such
reliable testimony that I can do nothing else but believe
it; for if I believe not weaker testimony, then knom
I very little or naught. What know I except that I wish
we knew about God as cleanly as we would f But the soul
is weighed down and busied with the body so that we cem
not, with the eyes of the mind, see any thing just as it is,
any more than thou canst see at times the sun shine, when
the clouds shoot between it and thee, although it shineth
very brightly where it is. And even though there be no
cloud between thee and it, thou canst not see it clearly fust
as it is, because thou art not where it is; nor can thy body
be there; nor can thy bodily eyes come any nearer there, nor
et^en see that far. Not even the moon, which is nearer us,
can we see just as it is. We know that it is larger than the
earth, and yet it doth not seem at times larger than a shield
on account of the distance, Nozv thou hast heard thut we
can not with the eyes of the mind ever see any thing of this
%vorld just as it is; yet from the part of it which zve see we
must beliez^e the part which we do not see. But it is
promised us beyond any doubt that, as soon as we come out
of this world and the soul is released from the prison of
the body, zve shall know every thing which we now desire to
know, and much more than the ancients, the wisest of all
on the earth, could know. And after Doomsday it is
promised that we may see God openly — yea, see Him just
as He is; and know Him ever afterwards as perfectly as He
noiv knoweth us. There shall never be any wisdom wani-

67.(^-68.10] St, Augustine 45

ing to us. He who granteth us to know Himself will con-
ceal naught from us. Howbeit we shall know then all that
we now wish to know, and also that which we do not now
ivish to know. We shall ail see God, both those who here
are worst, and those who here are best. All the good shall
see Him, to their comfort, and joy, and honor, and happiness,
and glory; and the wicked shall see Him just the same as
the good, though to their torment, for they shall see^
. . . might or could in this world, or whether they had
any remembrance of the friends whom they left behind in
this world.

Then answered he his own thoughts and said: Why sup-
posest thou that the departed good who have full and com-
plete freedom shall know, what they wish to know, either in
this present life or in tliat to come? Why supposest thou
that they have no memory of their friends in this world,
inasmuch as the wicked Dives feared the same torments for
his friends in hell as he had merited? It was he whom
Christ spake of in His Gospel that besought Abraham to
send Lazarus the beggar to him that he, with his little finger,
might place a drop of water on his tongue and therewith
cool his thirst. Then said Abraham: 'Nay, my son; but
consider that thou didst withhold from him all comforts
when ye were both in the body, thou having every good, and
he every misfortune. He can not now do more for thy
comfort than thou wouldst then do for him.' Then said the
rich man: 'Abraham, if that can not be, send him to my five
brethren who are still on the earth where I was, that he
may tell them in what punishment I am, and may admonish
them to take warning not to come hither.' Then said
Abraham: 'Nay, nay; they have the books of the holy
Fathers with them on earth. Let them study them and
believe them. If they do not believe them, neither will
they believe Lazarus, though he come to them'

* Omission in the MS.

46

King Alfred's

[68,11 — 69.14

Now we can hear that both the departed good and the
wicked knozv ail that happencth in this zvorld, and also in
the world in which they are. They know the greatest part —
though they do not know it all before Doomsday — and they
have very clear remembrance of their kin and friends in the
world. And the good help the good, et'ery one of them
another, as much as they can. But the good ivill not hat*e
mercy on their wicked friends, because the latter do not
wish to depart from their evil, any more than Abraham
would not pity the rich man zvho was his own kin because
he perceived that he was not so humble to God as he ought
rightly to be. The zvicked, then, can neither do their friends
nor themselves any good, because they zvere formerly, when
they were in this zvorld, of no aid either to themselves or
to their friends who had passed away before them. But
it shall be zvith them ez'cn as it is with men, zvho are in
this world brought into the prison of some king and can
see their friends all day and ask about them zvhat they
desire^ albeit they can not be of any good to them, nor
the prisoners to them; they have neither the wish nor the
ability. Wherefore the uncked have the greater punish-
ment in the zvorld to come, because they knozv the glory
and the honor of the good; and all the more because they
recall all the honor which they had in this world; and more-
over they knozv the honor which those have who shall then
be left behind them in this zvorld.

Hozvbeit the good, then, who have full freedom, see both
their friends and their enemies, just as in this life lords
and rulers often see together both their friends and their
enemies. They see them alike and know them alike, albeit
they do not love them alike. And again the righteous, after
they are out of this zvorld, shall recall very often both the
good and the evil which they had in this zvorld, and rejoice
very much that tliey did not depart from their Lord's zvill,
either in easy or in hidden things, while they were in this
zvorld. Just so some king in this zvorld may have driven
one of his favorites from him, or he may have been forced

69.14—70.5I St. Augustine 47

from the king against both of their wills; then hath he many
torments and many mishaps in his exile, yet he may come to
the same lord whom he before was with, and there be much
more worshipful than he was. Then he will recall the mis-
fortunes which he had there in his exile, and yet not be the
more unhappy. But I myself saw or [believed] what more
untrustworthy men told me than those were who told what
we are seeking. Must I not needs do one of two things —
either believe some men or none? Methinks now that I
know who built the city of Rome, and also many another
thing which existed before our day, all of which I can not
sum up. I know not who built the city of Rome for the rea-
son that I myself saw it. Nor even know I of what kin I
am, nor who my father or mother was, except by hearsay.
I know that my father begat me and my mother bare me,
but I do not know it because I myself saw it, but because
it was told me. Howbeit not so trustworthy men told that
to me as those were who said that which we now for a long
time have sought for; and still I believe it.

Therefore methinks that man very foolish and very
wretched who will not increase his intelligence while he is
in this world, and also wish and desire that he may come to
the eternal life, where nothing is hid from us.

Here end the sayings which King Alfred collected from
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